Members Duke Posted March 20, 2008 Members Report Posted March 20, 2008 what I do with my leather goods is oil it down with Bee naturals #1 saddle oil, let it sit for an hour or two, and then treat it with thier RTC. this provides a finish which seals in the dye and helps resist moisture. check it out, its worth it. bee natural has some very good items on the market for leather goods, including leather amore, and pro carve casing concentrate. Quote Duke When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck
Members fishguy Posted March 20, 2008 Members Report Posted March 20, 2008 Montana Pitch Blend. Pure pitch and beeswax.pete Some mink oil in there too Quote
Members Rayban Posted March 22, 2008 Members Report Posted March 22, 2008 I've always found it kinda amusing how folks are so afraid of their leather getting wet....after all, the cow stood out in the rain half of it's life....and we wet the leather to stamp it, carve it....wet mold it....etc.......if it gets wet, let it dry, oil it and get over it.... Quote Raybanwww.rgleather.net
Members Timothy Posted March 22, 2008 Members Report Posted March 22, 2008 I've used plain beeswax to make hot wax to treat boots and saddles. You can get it at craft stores for about $15 a pound in the candlemaking section. All I've used on saddles for years is cheap (generic brand) olive oil after learning that from a saddle maker. When I was doing a lot of riding in the rain I would melt beeswax into the oil as a final coat to seal the leather. I also use the same mixture exept thicker ( less olive oil) as my boot oil in the Winter and spring when mud gets deep around the barn. Idon't mind the leather getting wet but wet feet just ruins my day. Wipe it on and use a hair dryer to melt it in. It doesn't darken leather as bad as mink oil, and buffs better. As for parrafin I was taught never to use petroleum products on leather. Check out the sno seal website. They have good info on waterproofing. http://www.atsko.com/products/waterproofing/sno-seal.html Boot care article: http://www.atsko.com/articles/footware/boot-care.html Leather care article: http://www.atsko.com/articles/footware/pro...ng-leather.html Hope the links work. It's the first time I've tried to post them. Sorry to get long winded. My day job is selling boots and hats. I see lots of leather that's not taken care of properly so I made it a point to learn about the subject. I hope this helps. Timothy Quote
Members okie44 Posted August 18, 2008 Members Report Posted August 18, 2008 I have used a mixture of parafin, and mink oil on several holsters. Used 2 boxes of parafin and 1/2 bottle of Tandy's mink oil. Heat it in an old crock pot to about 220 F. and dip the holster after it has been finished. I carry a small pistol in a wallet type holster, and I sweat a lot, which causes the gun to rust, after awhile, from all the salt. I also some times heat the holster about 2 min at 180 to 200 deg. in a toaster oven, then dip it while it is still hot. Using veg tanned leather, and it will get very hard. The wax soaks in to the leather, and does not come off when rubbing the surface. This same process works on latigo leather, but it only gets a little stiffer, and not hard. I'm not worried about waterproofing the leather, just protecting what's inside it. So far, I've not had any problems with leather deteriration. Hope this helps Quote
Bree Posted August 19, 2008 Report Posted August 19, 2008 I am a fan of mink oil with some Aussie wax I use on my oilskin coat. I keep my mink oil in the fridge until I need it which prevents it from going bad. I do a lot of riding and more than my share of it in the rain. But I'll tell you one thing... ride 750 miles in the rain at highway speed and in my experience there is nothing that will "waterproof" your leather. Water is almost certainly going to get in... maybe not a lot but there will be some leakage. I think it is best to start with leather that is oil/wax treated in the drum, if you want to really repel water. Then keep it well treated to maintain its resistance to water. My $.02. Quote Ride Safe! Bree 2003 Dyna Wide Glide Memberships: Iron Butt Association, Niagara Falls HOG, Wild Fire HOG NRA, Niagara County Sportsman's Association
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted August 19, 2008 Contributing Member Report Posted August 19, 2008 (edited) Ragweedforge(dot)com has instructions for hardenining sheaths using parafin and oil in a hot bath. That, with other comments here, makes me think that it probably isn't the best idea for riding gear. Edited August 19, 2008 by TwinOaks Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Contributing Member wolvenstien Posted August 19, 2008 Author Contributing Member Report Posted August 19, 2008 Wow.... I posted this back in January, and totally forgot abotu it.... LOL. The wax that is in the bath is a very soft, non flaky wax. It is formulated to be used on skin.... you put the wax int he bath, turn it on, and let it melt, then put your feet, hands, elbows or whatever you want into the mix, leave them there for a minute or two (not so hot to burn you) and pull out, allow the wax to harden and either dip again to add more coats, or not.... then cover with a plastic bag, wait 15-30 minutes and remove bag and wax.... put wax back into the tub, and reuse..... with this wax being flexible, is why I considered it as a low cost water proofing method.... Quote "The miracle is not how two adults can create a child, the phenomenon is how quickly a child can create two adults." -- VYBE Her: Hit Me Him: Do you want me to use the knife? Her: No, When you hit with a knife, that's STABBING!
Members JustWakinUp Posted August 19, 2008 Members Report Posted August 19, 2008 Wow.... I posted this back in January, and totally forgot abotu it.... LOL.The wax that is in the bath is a very soft, non flaky wax. It is formulated to be used on skin.... you put the wax int he bath, turn it on, and let it melt, then put your feet, hands, elbows or whatever you want into the mix, leave them there for a minute or two (not so hot to burn you) and pull out, allow the wax to harden and either dip again to add more coats, or not.... then cover with a plastic bag, wait 15-30 minutes and remove bag and wax.... put wax back into the tub, and reuse..... with this wax being flexible, is why I considered it as a low cost water proofing method.... I use what Paul Cox uses for water proofing. It's actually called motorcycle leather dressing. Quote
Contributing Member UKRay Posted August 19, 2008 Contributing Member Report Posted August 19, 2008 IMHO, my two cents would have to be spent on Skidmores - it does exactly what it says and waterproofs better than anything else I have tried. It isn't expensive and is made from good natural materials. Well worth a try I think. They ship pretty well anywhere too. Quote "Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps" Ray Hatley www.barefootleather.co.uk
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